A tournament title will be on the line when a pair of top-five teams square off Friday night.
No. 2 Kansas is set to take on No. 5 Tennessee in the finals of the NIT Season Tip-Off at Barclays Center. Both teams enter the heavyweight battle with perfect 4-0 records, though the Volunteers have not won a game by less than double digits thus far.
“We need this game,” Self said Wednesday after KU’s 77-68 win over Marquette. “I think we may need this game more than Tennessee needs this game to be quite candid. We’re young and we’re not as tough as we need to be. And we better be pretty tough on Friday, the way they play, or they can make us look pretty bad.”
The game is slated to begin at 8 p.m. It will be broadcasted on ESPN2.
**Fun fact:** Tennessee is seeking its first 5-0 start since the 2010-11 season when the team began the year with a 7-0 clip.
**Series history:** Kansas leads 2-1. KU won the last meeting, 82-67, on Nov. 28, 2014, in the semifinals of the Orlando Classic.
**BREAKING DOWN TENNESSEE**
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**TOP PLAYER**
*No. 2 — F Grant Williams | 6-7, 236, jr.*
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Williams was a high school teammate of Kansas point guard Devon Dotson at Providence Day School in Charlotte, N.C.
This season, Williams is averaging 22.5 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per contest. The reigning SEC Player of the Year has attempted 435 free throws in his career, which ranks 30th among active Division I players
Williams has scored at least 20 points in three consecutive games for the first time in his career, as he dropped 31 against Louisiana, pouring in 22 points against Georgia Tech and finishing with 24 against Louisville.
**SUPPORTING CAST**
*No. 5 — G Admiral Schofield | 6-6, 241, sr.*
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Schofield scored 20 points in the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off in the team’s win over Louisville.
As a result, Schofield became the 50th Vol all time to reach the 1,000-point mark in his career. Schofield notched seven 20-point games last season, while being named to the All-SEC second team. He also led the Vols in rebounding (6.3 rpg), in which he was their leading rebounder in 17 games
His older brother, O’Brien Schofield, played college football at Wisconsin before playing seven seasons in the NFL.
*No. 0 — G Jordan Bone | 6-3, 180, jr.*
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Bone matched his career-best performance with eight assists against Louisville.
Last season, Bone was Tennessee’s team leader in assists with 124, while the team led the SEC with 15.7 assists per contest. Bone was also second in the SEC during 2018 league play with a 3.7 assist/turnover ratio.
This year, Bone has nearly doubled his scoring average and his recording 13.5 points per outing.
*No. 11 — F Kyle Alexander | 6-11, 215, sr.*
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Alexander’s 72 career starts are the most among active players, while his 102 games played are also a team-high.
To start the season, Alexander finished in double figures in each of the first three games. Alexander currently sits at seventh in UT’s career blocked shots list with 132 after recording 8 blocks this season.
*No. 23 — G Jordan Bowden | 6-5, 193, jr.*
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Bowden is coming off a four-point performance, in which he logged just two assists.
Bowden was Tennessee’s fourth-leading scorer last season (9.1 ppg),though he led the team in steals (39) and ranked second in 3-point shooting percentage (.395). In addition, Bowden collected 3.6 rebounds per game to lead all perimeter players in that mark.
**ONE THING TENNESSEE DOES WELL**
The Volunteers are balanced with four starters averaging in double figures. According to KenPom, Tennessee ranks in the top 15 in both offensive efficiency (14th) and defensive efficiency (12th).
**ONE AREA TENNESSEE STRUGGLES**
Tennessee has not shown the ability to force opponents into mistakes through the early part of the season. The Volunteers have recorded a steal rate of 6.6 percent, which ranks 296th in the nation.
**MEET THE COACH**
The Volunteers are coached by Rick Barnes, who is 61-44 in his fourth season at Tennessee and 665-358 in his 32nd season ins his career. His 665 wins are 26th most in NCAA Division I.
**VEGAS SAYS…**
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According to Action Network, Kansas is just a three-point favorite in a battle between a pair of top-five teams. That seems about right, and this will certainly be the Jayhawks’ biggest test to date. In the end, though, I think Kansas will be able to pull away late to hold off Tennessee and stay undefeated.
**My prediction:** Kansas 78, Tennessee 71
Record against spread: 1-3
